Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Turkey’s state-owned defence products corporation, says it has long been in talks with several countries that might be interested in purchasing Turkey’s new 5th generation fighter, the KAAN, following the recent announcement of a deal for Indonesia to buy 48 KAAN fighters for its air force.
“We define TAI as the supermarket of Türkiye’s aviation, with our units producing helicopters, UAVs, satellites, and even products for Airbus and Boeing—we have everything,” TAI CEO Mehmet Demiroğlu told Anatolia news agency during the 55th edition of the Paris-Le Bourget International Air and Space Show. “We’re in talks with some countries, and we expect serious developments from others, too. We hope to reach the stage where we can announce them in the upcoming period,” said Demiroğlu speaking about potential new buyers for one of TAI’s most recently developed products, the KAAN fighter jet.
Last week TAI signed a deal with Indonesia, described by Turkish President Erdoğan as ‘historic’, making the huge Southeast Asian country the first buyer of Turkey’s new 5th generation fighter. The deal, worth some $10 billion, calls for the delivery of 48 KAAN fighters to Indonesia over a 10-year period, once series production begins, initially scheduled for 2028.
Demiroğlu noted that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto expressed interest in the KAAN when he visited Turkey last April; the following month a TAI delegation travelled to Indonesia, and finally a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed during Indo Defence 2025, the largest defence industry trade fair in the entire Asia-Pacific region, celebrated in Jakarta. “This is a framework agreement that determines what the product is, how many of them will be made, and how they will be,” commented TAI’s CEO, who added that the deal also includes technology transfer to Indonesia.
NATO interest in another Turkish fighter: the Hürjet
Demiroğlu recalled that, in addition to the KAAN, TAI Corporation is also negotiating with other countries about the Hürjet, a light combat fighter of which – also recently – Spain became its first international buyer, acquiring a total of 24 aircraft: “Spain choosing our Hürjet stirred a significant buzz both in Europe and around the world as the second NATO country to choose it, after Türkiye, whose air force will also use the aircraft for training purposes”.
The TAI chief also stressed that Turkey is well placed to meet the growing demand for military products in Europe, which is increasing its defence budget: “We have the infrastructure and the product range to meet both our own needs and those of our allies,” he said.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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